Commanding Officer

 Lieutenant-Commander Francois Laplante was born and raised in Quebec City, QC.  On the 31st August 1988, LCdr Laplante joined the Regular Force of the Canadian Navy as a Maritime Surface Officer, and received his Officer’s Commission in 1990 on completion of his Mars III course.  LCdr Laplante took his release from the Regular Force in 1991.

Before joining the Naval Reserve, LCdr Laplante attended Laval University studying Economics and Political Sciences.  In 1992, LCdr Laplante transferred to the Naval Reserve as a Maritime Surface Warfare Officer graduating from the Naval Officer Training Centre VENTURE, in Esquimalt BC, where he earned a Minor War Vessel Bridge Watch Keeping Certificate in December 1992. In the summer 1993, he successfully completed his OOW training in Mechanical Minesweeping on HMCS MORESBY and was the Deck Officer on HMCS Fort Steele in Halifax NS.  In 1994, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant (Navy).  LCdr Laplante served in HMCS PORTE DE LA REINE as the Training Officer then successfully completed his Minor War Vessel Navigating Officer Qualification.  In September of that Year, he received his first posting as Navigating Officer in HMCS PORTE DE LA REINE and to HMCS CHIGNECTO in December.

From April 1995-September 1996, LCdr Laplante was the Flag Lieutenant for the Commander of the Naval Reserve in Toronto and Quebec City.  In the fall of 1996, he returned to the ships as the first Navigating Officer and member of the commissioning crew of HMCS SHAWINIGAN and in 1998 joined HMCS GLACE BAY as Operations Officer.  As Operations Officer, he coordinated the first Minor War Vessel deployment across the North Atlantic since the Second World War, when Glace Bay participated in the NATO Naval-Mine Warfare exercise BLUE GAME ’99 in the North Sea off Denmark.

In September 1999, LCdr Laplante became the Weapon and Mine Countermeasure Payload Officer instructing the Navy in MCM Payload, Mechanical Minesweeping, Route Survey, Weapon Director Officer and Range Safety Officer.  While at the School, He obtained his qualifications with the Canadian Basic and Intermediate Mine Warfare courses.   

After four years at Canadian Forces Fleet School Quebec, LCdr Laplante was appointed Executive Officer in HMCS EDMONTON and, with the hull change in 2004, in HMCS SASKATOON.  LCdr Laplante successfully challenged the Minor Warship Command Board in April 2005. On completion of his Executive Officer tour, he was posted to the Fourth Maritime Operations Group Headquarters (MOG 4 HQ) as the Coastal Warfare Officer.  He was the lead planner for the Maritime Response of Operation Pontoon related to the flood of British Columbia in the spring of 2007. 

After a year of dedicated studies, LCdr Laplante graduated from the Joint Reserve Staff Command course at the Military Staff College in Toronto. Immediately  following  the course, he was identified as the lead planner for the Maritime Commander of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics and Paralympics Winter Games in developing the Maritime Security Plan. He was promoted to his current rank in July 2005.  He is the proud father of daughters Rosina, Michelina, Savanah and son Nikolas residing in Victoria BC.